


A Burning Christmas

by Eating_Iron



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Death, Fire, Gen, slight gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 14:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5789200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eating_Iron/pseuds/Eating_Iron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zeref's favourite time of year; Christmas. Happy families, festivities, and lots of good food! But this year, was going to be the worst and last Christmas for Zeref and Natsu Dragneel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Burning Christmas

A Burning Christmas  
Zeref sneezed. He was bedridden for one of his favourite times of year. Christmas. Zeref relished in Christmas as the time off from the academy of magic gave him plenty of time to play with his little brother Natsu. Although this Christmas was different, Zeref had been holed up in his room for the best part of the festivities and practically spent the holiday alone as he did not want anyone else to be burdened with an illness like his.

  
So there lay the black haired teen, top of the academy, in the fetal position bringing his blanket over his head. He hated it. He could hear the distant sound of people, they were probably gathering at the centre to see the newly-invented Lacrima Lights be turned on. Zeref was desperate to see them. Not only was Natsu obsessed with glowing, shiny things, but they were a major magical breakthrough! Zeref decided enough was enough. He flung his many blankets from his body, donned the winter cloak form the hanger and ran out the front door, not caring about the harsh weather anymore.

  
Zeref noticed the white floating through the air straight away, it was snowing. Or so he thought. _Something's wrong_. It wasn't cold enough to snow, it was surprisingly warm, he started to get too hot in the fur lined winter cloak. Zeref was distracted by the glow peeking over the top of some houses. _The town center!_ Zeref thought, breaking into a run towards the glow.

  
When Zeref arrived he was confused at first. He was struggling to breathe. Not from the run, but from the black smoke creeping into the clouds above. The boy turned the corner to see a sight that caused him to pale in terror.

  
**Fire**.

  
The red flames consumed everything. Silhouettes of people collapsed in the flames, he could now hear their screams over the blood pumping in his ears. His thought instantly collected to a single person. _Natsu_! Zeref began running, calling out his younger brother's name, begging for a response. He tripped on a object and landed face first with a crunch, he rolled over to see he had fallen over the half charred body of the baker off Brown Street. His eyes widened. He was terrified. Zeref finally noticed that it was not snowing, but showering down the pure white ashes of wooden buildings.

  
He recoiled from the body and continued his search for Natsu. Zeref suddenly heard a cry. Natu's cry, "Oneesan!" He spun aroud to see Natsu crawling from a burning building. Zeref instantly ran towards his brothers weak form.

  
"Natsu, Natsu can you hear me?" He cried, but to no avail, Natsu's body fell limp in his arms. For the first time in his life, Zeref cried for someone. His life, his little brother had died. I was his older brother... _I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM!_ Tears and mucus streamed down Zeref's face, now looking like a lost child, he cradled the small body and pressed it against his chest, "N-Natsu..." He whimpered. Suddenly, Zeref had an idea. _I can bring him back to me with my research!_ Zeref bolted to his feet, Natsu's body held tight in his arms he sprinted towards the academy crying.

  
After finding his unfinished research, Zeref set up the magic circle around Natu's body. Everything was ready. He activated the magic circle, his breath caught as sparks flew across Natsu's body. Darkness began enveloping the circle,What's going on?He thought as everything began to go dark.

  
Zeref was surrounded in darkness, he was in a void of sorts. He tried to move but his body did not do as he commanded. **"So a mere child dares tamper with the power of life and death?"** A voice boomed from seemingly everywhere.

  
"Who are you? Where's Natsu? Where am I?"Zeref asked panicking and still attempting to move his body.

  
**"You, child, are in my dimension. And I am Ankhseram, the god of life and death."**

  
Zeref's eyes widened, _A god?! Of life and death?!_

  
**"I will not keep you here much longer. But you must do something before you return to your world."**

  
"What do you want! I need to go, my brother needs me!"Zeref screamed, desperate to escape and find Natsu, sweat pouring down his face from the strain on his muscles.

  
**"In exchange for your brother's life, you will be cursed for entirnity. How much does a single brat mean to you?"**

  
"ANYTHING JUST SAVE NATSU!" Zeref screamed, his throat hurting and lips dry. _'Natsu has to live_ '

  
The god laughed, his voice shaking Zeref's body. **"Very well Zeref Dragneel. Your brother shall live, and I.."** Zeref felt a weight pressing against his body, he felt as if he was being crushed. He wanted to scream but his voice was nowhere to be found. **"give you the curse of contradiction!"**

  
The weight was still there as he felt a pressure build in his head. The excruciating pain of being crushed and pulled apart at the same time was unbearable, Zeref's eyes slammed shut as he finally screamed.

  
Suddenly, the pain left in an instant, he opened his eyes to see Natsu lying there.

  
"Natsu..." Zeref whispered, he put two fingers on his sibling's throat and felt a pulse. Smiling, Zeref looked up to the sky only to frown. Black clouds were collecting. He looked around and too his shock there was nothing to see. Everything up to the horizon was gone, not gone, but dead. The rain began pouring as did his tears. _A-At least I've got Natsu..._

  
He noticed a small flower by Natsu seemingly the only thing not destroyed in the vicinity, _If that was a god, I should give an offering right?_ Zeref thought, he reached out but as his fingers touched the delicate flower it withered, each petal blackened and falling one by one. Zeref turned his hand over and stared at his palm in horror, the was a black smoke seeping form it. He then noticed the smoke seeping from his entire body.

  
What..

  
_What am I?_


End file.
